


Mulder-Scully College AU Drabble Series

by scullywolf



Series: Mulder Scully College AU [2]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: College AU, Drabble Collection, Fictober, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:22:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26753515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scullywolf/pseuds/scullywolf
Summary: This is my attempt for Fictober 2020. Usingthis listfrom Tumblr for the daily prompts, though I probably won't do them in order. Series lives within the world of my "Ghosts in the Hall" fic.
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Series: Mulder Scully College AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948531
Comments: 20
Kudos: 24





	1. Prompt 15 - “not interested, thank you”

Dana still can’t explain what she did or didn’t see tonight, but she is reasonably confident Mulder isn’t dangerous, despite his rather out-there beliefs. They fall into surprisingly easy conversation as he walks her home. She knew he was funny, his dry humor making frequent appearances in the Psych recitations, but there’s also an endearing earnestness to him that she didn’t expect.

“Rain’s stopped. I might go for a run later, if you wanna tag along.”

“Not interested, thank you,” she says, smiling. “I’ve had enough running for one night.”

“Some other time?”

She considers a moment, then nods. “Maybe.”


	2. Prompt 12 - "watch me"

Over the next few weeks, instead of raising her hand during lecture to ask Dr. Blevins a question, she makes a note to ask Mulder the next day in recitation. She tells herself it’s because his answers are more engaging and memorable, that it has  _ nothing _ to do with how his eyes light up when she presses him on a subject or posits a biopsychological explanation for some aspect of behaviorism.

She definitely doesn’t feel her stomach swoop when her question includes an unspoken “you can’t explain this” challenge and his answer is a wry smile that says, “Watch me.”


	3. Prompt 7 - "yes I did, what about it?"

They’ve run into each other leaving the library again, she with a backpack full of biochem notes, he with an armload of books. She can read some of the spines and raises an eyebrow.

“Did you really check out books about hypnotic regression and reincarnation?”

“Yes I did, what about it?”

She shrugs. “It just seems a little…”

“Spooky?”

“I was going to say unexpected, given that this is a university library and not a new age bookstore. I’ve never seen anything like that on the shelves here.”

He grins. “Oh, they keep all the best stuff in the basement.”


	4. Prompt 24 - "are you kidding me?"

“They finally finished repaving the jogging path along the river,” Mulder says as they’re leaving recitation on Friday. “Thought I’d check it out tomorrow morning. You want in?”

Stress from impending midterms has been eating her alive, and a run might be just the thing to clear her head. 

“That sounds nice, actually. What time?”

“Five-thirty?”

She wrinkles her nose. “Are you kidding me? The sun won’t even be up.”

“I like to go before it gets too crowded. Besides, the path’s well lit.” 

He has a point. Still, that’s so early.

“C’mon. We can get coffee afterward. My treat.”


	5. Prompt 11 - "i told you so"

“Wow, you must really like this guy,” Missy says over the phone that evening, “because that is the absolute worst date idea I have ever heard.”

“It’s not a date!” is Dana’s indignant reply.

“Oh, so the whole class is going, then?”

“Well, no…”

“He gonna quiz you for the midterm? The world’s most masochistic study session?”

“Hey, I like running…”

“Not as much as you like sleep!  _ And _ he’s buying you coffee after? Girl...”

Dana feels her cheeks heat up as realization dawns.

“Oh my God. It might be a date.”

Missy’s voice is smug. “I told you so.”


	6. Prompt 22 - "and neither should you"

“Mulder, is this a date?” she blurts, in lieu of a greeting.

_Uh oh…_

“What, uh, what do you mean?” _Do you want it to be? Or are you upset?_

“It’s just… I thought you were just being nice, inviting me today, but then my sister said… and I’m not sure it’s appropriate if… if we’re...”

_God she’s adorable when she’s flustered._

“Whoa, Scully, don’t worry. I have a girlfriend.” 

(That’s a lie -- Diana dumped him a year ago -- but it seems the simplest way to ease her mind. Of _course_ he likes her. But he’s cool with just being her friend, if that’s all she wants.) 

“Oh.” _Wait, is that disappointment on her face?_ “Well then why did you ask me and not her?”

He shrugs. “Diana hates running.” ( _That_ much is true.)

“I see.” She looks down, cheeks pink in the lamplight. “Well. I’m, um, I’m sorry for assuming…”

“Don’t apologize. I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. But for the record, even though I’m your TA, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with us spending time together. And neither should you.”

“Can we just start this run and forget I said anything?”

He smiles. “Let’s go.”


End file.
